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PB.ESENTED  TO  THE  LIBRARY 


OF 


PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


Professor  H^'^i'y  van  Dyke,  D.D.,  IiLi.D. 

BX  9178  .B66  S8  1888 
Booth,  Henry  M. 
The  sunrise,  noonday,  and 
sunset  of  the  day  of  grace 


THE 

SUNRISE,   NOONDAY,    AND    SUNSET 

OF 

THE   DAY   OF   GRACE. 


THE 


SUNRISE.  NOONDAY.  AND  SUNSET 


OF 


THE   DAY   OF  GRACE. 


BY 

HENRY   M.   BOOTH,   D.D., 

PASTOR  OF  THE   PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH  OF  ENGLEWOOD,   N.  J. 


NEW  YORK: 

ANSON  D.  F.  RANDOLPH  AND   COMPANY, 

38  West  Twenty-Third  Street. 


Copyright,  1888, 
By  Anson  D.  F.  Randolph  and  Company. 


©nibfrgt'tg  39re8S: 
John  Wilson  and  Son,  Cambridge. 


Ko  ms  JFatljer, 


WHOSE    NOONDAY    IS    PROLONGED    BEYOND   THE 
APPOINTED    HOUR    OF    SUNSET. 


CONTENTS. 

• 

Page 

Sunrise ii 

Noonday     .     .    - 37 

Sunset 6;^ 


SUNRISE. 


And  Eli  perceived  that  the  Lo7'd  had  called  the 
child.  —  I  Samuel  iii.  8. 


SUNRISE. 


THE  child  was  Samuel.  His  parents 
had  placed  him  in  the  tabernacle  at 
Shiloh.  From  his  birth  he  had  been  set 
apart  to  the  service  of  the  Lord.  When 
he  began  his  sacred  duties  he  was  a  little 
boy.  Girded  with  a  linen  ephod,  he  was 
permitted  to  assist  the  priests  in  their  daily- 
ministrations.  His  was  the  light  work  of 
the  sanctuary.  There  was  a  recognition 
of  his  ability  to  do  something  in  the  sacred 
tent.  He  was  not  turned  away  because  he 
was  a  child.  The  high-priest  became  in- 
terested in  his  growth  and  education;  he 
"  was  in  favor  both  with  the  Lord,  and  also 
with  men."  With  conscientious  fidelity 
and  with  a  cheerful  zeal  he  won  his  way 
to  general  popularity.  Religion  is  not  re- 
pulsive.    When  the  Sun  of  Righteousness 


12  The  Sunrise 

lights  up  the  soul,  there  should  be  evi- 
dences of  that  gracious  Presence  in  the 
beauty  of  the  countenance  as  well  as  in 
the  activity  of  the  hands  and  feet.  A 
God-fearing  child  is  not  expected  to  have 
the  manners  of  a  sedate  man.  Genial, 
honest  play  is  just  as  commendable  in  its 
season  as  self-sacrificing  work  is  in  its  own 
time.  The  Divine  Eyes  look  for  that  which 
is  natural  and  spontaneous,  rather  than  for 
that  which  is  forced  and  constrained.  When 
the  compassionate  Saviour  invited  the  little 
children  to  come  unto  him,  he  had  no 
thought  of  robbing  them  of  their  childhood 
with  its  happiness ;  he  wished  only  to  add 
his  blessing  to  the  many  blessings  which 
were  already  theirs. 

While  Samuel  was  still  a  learner  in  the 
service  of  the  Lord  he  was  conscious  of  a 
strange  call  which  reached  him  as  the  night 
was  closing  and  the  day  was  about  to  break. 
It  aroused  him  from  his  sleep :  his  own 
name  was  audible.  Instantly  suspecting 
that  the  aged  Eli  was  requiring  his  pres- 
ence, he  arose  and  reported  himself  But 
the  high-priest  had  not  spoken ;   he  knew 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  13 

nothing  of  the  nature  or  quality  of  the 
voice  which  had  been  heard.  By  his  ad- 
vice the  boy  went  back  to  his  bed.  There 
he  must  have  waited  eagerly  for  a  repe- 
tition of  the  unearthly  sound.  Children 
must  not  be  expected  to  recognize  the  first 
intimation  of  a  divine  influence  in  their 
souls.  Yet  when  that  influence  is  felt,  it 
is  impossible  that  the  soul  should  be  dull 
and  listless  and  indifl"erent.  A  second  time 
the  name  of  Samuel  was  audible,  and  a 
second  time  the  high-priest  was  aroused 
by  his  faithful  assistant.  But  still  his  mind 
did  not  grasp  the  situation.  He  referred 
the  calls  to  the  fancy,  or  the  dream  of 
childhood.  He  was  not  quick  to  detect 
the  interest  of  God.  But  when  for  the 
third  time  he  found  Samuel  at  his  side, 
and  when  he  heard  the  urgent  appeal  of 
the  boy,  Eli,  somewhat  experienced  in  the 
methods  of  Providence,  recognized  the  pro- 
found significance  of  the  voice.  He  *' per- 
ceived that  the  Lord  had  called  the  child." 
A  revelation  was  evidently  about  to  be 
made,  and  Samuel  was  to  be  its  recipient. 
Quietly  and   reverently  he  told   him   just 


14  The  Sunrise 

what  he  should  do,  and  then  waited  anx- 
iously to  learn  the  meaning  of  the 
communication. 

The  familiar  story,  as  we  are  to  use  it, 
opens  a  subject  which  every  friend  of  chil- 
dren must  love  to  consider.  An  old  man 
believes  that  a  child  has  been  called  of 
God.  An  ordained  minister  of  religion  — 
the  high-priest  of  the  Hebrews  —  welcomes 
a  little  boy  as  the  messenger  of  the  Lord. 
That  is  all.  But  is  not  that  enough  to 
start  very  earnest  and  serious  thought? 
The  child  whom  God  calls  is  not  to  be 
neglected  ;  is  not  to  be  kept  at  a  distance ; 
is  not  to  be  disparaged.  In  his  visible 
kingdom  there  should  be  a  prompt  and 
cordial  welcome  for  every  such  child  ;  and 
the  nurture  of  the  household  of  faith  should 
be  directed  towards  the  maintenance  and 
the  development  of  the  responsive  faith  of 
children.  Let  us  surrender  ourselves  to  the 
leadership  of  this  thought,  as  we  propose, 
and  consider  the  three  practical  questions : 
Does  the  Lord  still  call  children ;  unto 
what  does  he  call  them ;  and  how  shall  it 
be  known  that  they  have  been  called  ? 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  1 5 

Does  the  Lord  still  call  children?  There 
are  many  instances  of  the  divine  call  in  the 
records  of  the  Bible.  The  Lord's  interest 
in  and  welcome  to  children  is  frequently 
mentioned  by  the  writers  of  the  Old  and 
the  New  Testaments.  Several  notable  char- 
acters, like  David  and  Josiah,  like  John 
the  Baptist  and  Timothy,  were  selected  in 
childhood  for  a  great  and  important  life- 
work,  and  were  then  trained  under  espe- 
cial and  providential  influences.  Even 
where  a  distinct  call  to  service  was  not 
given  in  early  life,  there  are  most  satisfac- 
tory evidences  in  many  cases  that  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  was  shaping  the  disci- 
pline of  home  and  school  to  prepare  a  use- 
ful career.  Saul  of  Tarsus  was  called  into 
the  apostleship  of  the  Christian  Church 
when  as  yet  the  Church  had  not  been  or- 
ganized. But  the  training  of  the  young 
Pharisee  by  Gamaliel  was  the  most  com- 
plete equipment  that  could  have  been 
given  for  the  service  which  after  years 
were  to  witness  in  the  labors  of  Paul. 

Such  divine  watchfulness  is  not  to  be 
limited,  however,  to  Bible  times.     He  who 


1 6  The  Sunrise 

is  '^  the  same  yesterday  and  to-day  and 
forever  "  has  not  lost  his  interest  in  child- 
hood. His  voice  has  been  heard,  and  has 
been  heard  constantly,  in  every  century. 
He  has  told  us  that  the  early  years  of  life 
are  the  hopeful  years;  that  character  is 
formed  in  youth;  that  there  is  danger 
of  losing  all  concern  for  sacred  things  if 
first  impressions  are  disregarded ;  that  it 
is  possible  to  grow  tip  into  a  knowledge 
of  holiness  under  gracious  influences  ;  that 
the  divine  attitude  is  represented  by  the 
Redeemer  when  he  extends  his  arms  and 
clasps  little  children  to  his  bosom.  The 
invitation  is  to  children,  the  promise  is 
to  children.  The  Church  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  is  not  behind  the  Church  of 
the  older  dispensation  in  providing  a  wel- 
come for  children.  Their  piety  is  ap- 
preciated, their  service  is  approved,  their 
happy,  hopeful  lives  are  the  joy  of  many 
devout  souls.  Unnumbered  multitudes  of 
children  have  responded  to  the  call  of  the 
Lord,  have  witnessed  a  good  confession, 
have  reached  Christian  maturity,  have 
died  in  a  ripe  old  age,  with  a  comfortable 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  17 

hope  of  enjoying   the  fehcity  of  heaven. 
If  you  should   strike  from  the  roll  of  the 
Christian  Church  every  name  that  was  en- 
tered   in  childhood,  you  would   leave   for 
recognition   the    merest   fragment   of    the 
Lord's  host.     Some  years  ago  the  inquiry 
as  to  the  age  at  conversion  was  made  in  a 
conference    of    the    Methodist    Episcopal 
Church ;   and  it  appeared  that  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-nine  ministers  who  reported, 
the  average  age  at  conversion  was  fifteen 
and  three  fifths  years,  and  about  one  sixth 
of  the  number  were  converted  when  less 
than   twelve    years    of  age.     In    a  revival 
which  occurred  in  the  State  of  Virginia  it 
was    found    that   there   were    seventy-nine 
converts   from   ten   to   twenty  years  old; 
forty-eight  from  twenty  to  thirty ;   sixteen 
from  thirty  to  forty ;  fifteen  from  forty  to 
fifty;  seven  from  fifty  to  sixty;  four  from 
sixty  to  seventy ;   and  one  from  seventy  to 
eighty.     And  every  pastor  of  experience 
who  has  been  permitted  to  welcome  chil- 
dren to  the   table  of  our  Lord  will  bear 
witness   to   the   fidelity  of  these  youthful 
converts.     With   few  exceptions,  they  do 


1 8  The  Sunrise 

better,  they  give  less  anxiety,  than  older 
converts  do.  At  this  very  hour,  in  homes, 
in  Sabbath-schools,  in  sanctuaries,  and  in 
mission-stations,  the  call  of  the  Lord  is 
heard  by  children.  They  are  taught  that 
the  Lord  wants  them.  They  are  urged  to 
give  themselves  up  to  him.  Religion  is 
made  attractive.  God's  service  is  pre- 
sented as  the  grandest  pursuit  of  life.  The 
belief  is  influential  that  it  is  better  to  sow 
and  to  reap  wheat  and  corn  than  it  is  to 
leave  the  fields  to  be  covered  with  "  wild 
oats."  If  Christ  does  not  fill  the  youthful 
heart,  the  devil  will  surely  find  room 
there.  Pre-occupancy  is  the  best  moral 
safeguard.  Send  a  young  life  out  into 
the  world  with  a  positive  love  of  virtue, 
and  vice  will  make  few  conquests ;  send  a 
young  life  out  into  the  world  with  a  posi- 
tive love  of  grace,  and  there  will  be  little 
opportunity  for  sin  to  make  its  appeals. 
This  is  the  wisdom  of  experience.  Men 
have  learned  this  truth  after  much  hard- 
ship and  after  many  disappointments. 
Education  has  this  reference.  The  en- 
deavor is  constant  to  provide  against  the 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  19 

evil  day.  Is  it  to  be  supposed  that  the 
Lord  God  is  less  wise  than  man?  Is  it  to 
be  supposed  that  he  who  watches  the  spar- 
row's flight,  that  he  who  hears  the  young 
raven's  cry,  that  he  who  clothes  the  grass 
of  the  field,  that  he  who  even  numbers 
the  hairs  of  the  head,  that  he  fails  to  call 
children  into  the  kingdom  of  his  own  dear 
Son?  No.  When  we  have  his  character 
to  assure  us,  when  we  have  his  word  to 
inform  us,  when  we  have  the  history  of 
his  Church  to  confirm  our  belief,  we  can- 
not hesitate  to  recognize  the  call  of  the 
Lord  as  addressed  to  little  children. 

In  the  standards  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  this  precious  truth  has  great 
prominence.  '*  All  children  born  within 
the  pale  of  the  visible  Church,"  says  the 
Book  of  Discipline,  '^  are  members  of  the 
Church,  are  to  be  baptized,  are  under 
the  care  of  the  Church,  and  subject  to  its 
government  and  discipline ;  and  when  they 
have  arrived  at  years  of  discretion  they 
are  bound  to  perform  all  the  duties  of 
Church  members"  (chapter  i.  sec.  5).  The 
Directory  for  Worship  (chapter  ix.  sec.  21) 


20  The  Sunrise 

repeats  and  amplifies  these  plain  statements, 
and  then  adds  that  **  the  years  of  discre- 
tion in  young  Christians  cannot  be  pre- 
cisely fixed.  This  must  be  left  to  the 
prudence  of  the  eldership.  The  officers 
of  the  Church  are  the  judges  of  the  quali- 
fications of  those  to  be  admitted  to  seal- 
ing ordinances,  and  of  the  time  when  it 
is  proper  to  admit  young  Christians  to 
them." 

Ujito  what  does  the  Lord  call  children? 
The  life  of  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury  touched 
most  of  the  reformatory,  philanthropic, 
and  Christian  endeavors  of  the  present 
century.  He  was  certainly  a  great  and  a 
good  man.  His  ancestors  were  illustrious 
noblemen,  but  no  one  of  them  was  remark- 
able for  godliness.  They  were  men  of 
the  world,  who  found  their  portion  in  this 
life.  The  Earl,  however,  —  whose  recent 
death  has  made  his  life  a  subject  of  re- 
view,—  was  called  in  childhood  to  the 
usefulness  which  gave  to  him  such  dis- 
tinguished pre-eminence.  Somewhat  ne- 
glected by  his  parents,  he  became  the 
especial  charge  of  a  godly  nurse,  whose 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  21 

devotion  to  her  Saviour  secured  its  fruit- 
age in  the  accomplishments  of  the  Earl. 
Thus  she  became  God's  messenger,  through 
whom  his  call  reached  this  young  soul. 
Then,  while  still  a  youth,  this  sensitive  na- 
ture was  brought  into  sharp  and  decisive 
contact  with  a  spectacle  of  unusual  degra- 
dation when  he  witnessed  the  drunkenness 
of  certain  base  fellows  who  were  carry- 
ing the  lifeless  body  of  a  comrade  to  the 
grave.  Again  —  and  now  clearly  and  em- 
phatically —  God's  call  reached  him.  His 
entire  life  was  outlined.  He  surrendered 
himself  in  holy  consecration,  not  simply  to 
God,  but  also  to  the  service  of  his  fellow- 
men  in  God.  From  that  hour  his  reso- 
lution dated.  The  call  was  heard.  His 
response  was  announced.  Christian  duty 
became  the  rule  of  life,  and  an  unequalled 
career  began  to  open,  with  its  splendid 
possibilities  of  grand  and  loving  service. 

Can  it  be  questioned  that  God's  call  an- 
nounced the  service?  Did  it  not  face  the 
child  towards  the  events  which  were  await- 
ing manly  conviction  and  courage?  Yet 
just  what  is  evident  in  that  notable  life  is 


22  The  Sunrise 

evident  to  a  degree  in  every  other  life. 
God  calls  children  to  himself  in  order  that 
he  may  use  them  in  his  service.  '*  We  are 
his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus 
ti7ito  good  works,  which  God  hath  before 
ordained  that  we  should  walk  in  them." 
The  "■  good  works "  are  always  the  ulti- 
mate reference.  Childhood  is  prized  by 
God  not  only  for  its  own  sake  and  for  the 
sake  of  its  personal  salvation,  but  also  for 
the  sake  of  its  usefulness.  The  children 
of  the  Church  are  the  hope  of  the  future. 
Trained  in  the  fear  of  God,  they  may  be 
expected  to  meet  the  demands  of  duty, 
and  to  lead  the  large  and  generous  move- 
ments which  are  God's  thought  for  the 
race.  Looking  back,  we  can  see  how  this 
has  been;  and  looking  forward,  we  can 
believe  that  such  leadership  will  have  sim- 
ilar importance  in  the  years  to  come.  The 
youth  of  the  past  have  been  charged  with 
the  responsibility  of  suggesting  and  of 
forwarding  our  principal  organizations, 
which  seek  the  elevation  and  evangeliza- 
tion of  mankind.  God  has  called  them  to 
this  service.     They  have  been  wiser  than 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  23 

they  supposed  themselves  to  be.  What 
stirring  events  have  waited  upon  the  pray- 
ers of  the  young  men  who  knelt  beside 
the  haystack  at  Williamstown,  and  there 
made  the  consecration  which  directed  our 
country's  interest  in  Foreign  Missions ! 
What  a  splendid  career  was  wrapped  up 
in  the  call  which  made  our  friend  Mr. 
William  E.  Dodge  a  child  Christian ! 
How  many  of  us  enjoy  the  grateful  con- 
sciousness of  knowing  that  our  lives  were 
shaped  by  God's  regard  for  us  when  we 
were  quite  young?  He  might  say  to 
us,  as  he  said  of  old  to  King  Cyrus :  "  I 
girded  thee,  though  thou  hast  not  known 
me."  Thus  every  life  is  providential,  just 
as  every  plant  is  dependent  upon  the 
heat  and  light  of  the  sun.  The  life  may 
be  inconspicuous  and  humble;  or  it  may 
be  prominent  and  influential.  The  plant 
may  become  an  oak,  or  its  nature  may 
be  that  of  the  violet.  "  God  is  girding 
every  man  for  a  place  and  a  calling,  in 
which,  taking  it  from  him,  he  may  be  as 
consciously  exalted  as  if  he  held  the  rule 
of  a  kingdom." 


24  The  Sunrise 

The  call  of  God,  at  whatever  age  it  is 
heard,  contemplates  the  rectification  of 
character  and  life.  Character  and  life  re- 
quire such  a  rectification.  Explain  the 
matter  as  we  may,  it  is  nevertheless  true 
that  there  is  disorder  in  human  nature. 
The  nice  balance  of  the  mechanism  has 
been  disturbed.  The  melody  is  inharmo- 
nious. There  is  evidence  of  the  presence 
of  disease.  Just  so  soon  as  the  so-called 
innocence  of  infancy  has  passed  away, 
selfish  and  ungovernable  traits  begin  to 
appear.  A  child  need  not  be  very  far  ad- 
vanced to  manifest  the  fact  that  he  is  a 
little  sinner.  The  actions  are  not  those  of 
a  saint.  Nothing  but  the  reality  of  sin  can 
explain  the  peevishness,  the  disobedience, 
and  the  fondness  for  naughty  ways.  Then, 
by  and  by,  this  mother's  darling  may 
exhibit  a  degree  of  violence  which  is  start- 
ling, and  the  so-called  innocence  of  in- 
fancy may  be  succeeded  by  the  life  of  an 
Aaron  Burr.  There  is  no  need  that  we 
should  enter  upon  a  discussion  of  the 
vexed  questions  of  original  sin  and  total 
depravity.     Proof  is  not  wanting  of  actual 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  25 

transgressions,  and  the  proof  is  furnished 
by  the  experiences  of  our  common  hu- 
manity. ''  There  is  none  that  doeth  good, 
no,  not  one."  In  this  particular  there  can 
be  no  exemption.  The  demand,  ^' Ye 
must  be  born  again,"  is  of  universal  appli- 
cation. The  innocence  of  infancy  is  a  mis- 
nomer. There  is  no  innocence.  There 
never  has  been  any  innocence  since  the 
Fall.  Our  race  can  never  hope  to  attain 
unto  innocence.  A  superior  opportunity 
is  ours  in  the  privileges  of  tried  virtue 
which  are  presented  by  our  Lord. 

This  is  the  significance  of  the  call.  It 
is  to  rectify  the  disorder;  it  is  to  afford 
the  true  centre  of  crystallization;  it  is  to 
present  the  proper  standard;  it  is  to  be- 
stow needful  grace,  — that  the  Lord  calls 
children.  He  wishes  to  mould  and  to 
fashion  them  properly.  We  speak  of  a 
state  of  nature,  of  the  naturalness  of  sin, 
of  wrong-doing,  as  an  inevitable  evil.  In 
a  certain  sense  we  are  right.  Yet  in  the 
highest  sense  we  cannot  say  that  the  nat- 
ural is  the  deformed,  the  diseased,  the 
decrepit.     Nature  works  towards  an  ideal 


26  The  Sunrise 

perfection.  A  truly  natural  life  would  be 
an  absolutely  perfect  life,  like  the  life  of 
Jesus.  Now,  this  is  what  the  call  of  the 
Lord  contemplates.  He  wishes  to  take 
each  one  of  us  as  we  are,  —  sinful,  disor- 
dered, diseased,  —  and  to  make  us  what 
we  ought  to  be,  —  holy,  disciplined,  and 
useful.  He  plans  to  organize  character 
anew,  to  direct  its  activities,  to  bring  up 
its  weaknesses  and  to  enlarge  its  outlook, 
to  enrich  its  estimates  and  to  develop  its 
energies,  to  make  childhood  a  true  and 
happy  and  beautiful  childhood.  Then  let 
the  child  grow.  His  growth  will  be  con- 
ditioned by  his  consciousness  of  God. 
Grace  in  his  heart  will  become  graces  in 
his  life.  We  shall  want  him  to  be  natural, 
just  as  his  Lord  does.  Samuel  was  not 
Eli,  and  he  was  not  required  to  be.  Eli 
was  an  old  man,  and  Samuel  was  only 
a  boy ;  yet  the  boy  had  in  him  the  mak- 
ing of  a  better  man  than  Eli  was. 

Our  criticism  of  the  religion  of  children 
must  never  make  use  of  the  estimates 
which  may  be  appropriate  to  the  religion 
of  their  parents.     Children  are  unconven- 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  27 

tional,  outspoken,  frank,  and  impulsive. 
They  cannot  restrain  their  feelings  as  older 
persons  can.  Their  thoughts  are  very  apt 
to  be  their  actions.  Yet  how  often  we 
chide  them  for  actions  which  are  a  hun- 
dred-fold better  than  our  thoughts !  In- 
stead of  treating  them  as  children,  instead 
of  encouraging  them  to  be  sweet,  lovely 
children,  we  lead  them  to  believe  that 
they  must  be  as  we  do,  not  as  we  are.  We 
can  be  quiet  and  demure  and  reverent, 
even  if  our  minds  are  occupied  with 
thoughts  which  make  the  Father's  house 
a  house  of  merchandise.  Those  were 
happy  children  who  saluted  Jesus  in  the 
courts  of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem;  and 
yet  the  chief-priests  and  the  scribes,  who 
had  tolerated  the  money-changers  and  the 
dealers  in  small  wares,  rebuked  them  for 
their  disregard  of  the  sanctity  of  the  place. 
Alas!  we  are  mistakenly  zealous  for  our 
Lord's  honor.  He  will  care  for  it  himself. 
We  need  not  fear.  Most  welcome  to  him 
is  the  joyous  naturalness  of  youthful  na- 
tures which  have  responded  to  the  gentle 
call  of  his  love. 


28  77;^  Sunrise 

Little  Majorie  Fleming  —  Walter  Scott's 
friend  —  went  to  heaven  before  she  was 
nine  years  old.  Yet  she  had  heard  and 
had  answered  the  call  of  our  Lord,  and 
the  charm  of  her  life  was  the  sweet  music 
of  the  tuneful  harp.  Scott's  friendship,  it 
is  true,  has  immortalized  her  name;  and 
yet  her  simple  Christian  life  has  long  time 
proved  a  beautiful  witness  to  the  reality 
of  the  reHgion  of  childhood.  She  was 
young,  very  young,  when  she  learned  the 
lesson,  which  older  people  are  very  slow 
in  learning,  that  we  are  dependent  upon 
God  for  the  grace  of  each  day.  "  I  will 
never  again  trust  to  my  own  power,"  she 
wrote  in  her  Journal ;  ''  for  I  see  that  I 
cannot  be  good  without  God's  assistance. 
I  will  not  trust  in  my  own  self"  Could 
you  ask  for  more?  Can  mature  piety 
write  a  better  sentence?  Then  let  us  un- 
derstand the  call  of  the  Lord,  and  let  us 
always  be  considerate  of  the  faith  of  little 
children.  For  the  Master  once  said,  — 
and  how  impressive  are  his  words !  — 
'*  Take  heed  that  ye  despise  not  one  of 
these  little  ones ;   for  I  say  unto  you,  that 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  29 

in  heaven  their  angels  do  always  behold 
the  face  of  my  Father  which  is  in 
heaven." 

But  how  shall  it  be  known  that  children 
have  been  called  by  the  Lord?  We  are 
not  told  how  Eli  was  led  to  perceive  that 
the  Lord  had  called  Samuel.  I  think, 
however,  that  we  need  not  be  at  a  loss 
to  discriminate  this  divine  call.  The 
evidences  of  the  religion  of  childhood  are 
within  our  reach.  We  may  appreciate, 
and  may  use  them. 

They  are  not  associated  with  a  marked 
crisis.  Childhood  seldom  dates  its  ex- 
periences from  a  vision  on  the  Damascus 
Road.  The  youthful  life  has  not  been 
engaged  in  persecuting  the  saints.  There 
has  been  no  debauchery,  no  shame.  The 
materials  for  a  crisis  are  not  present.  The 
unfolding  of  a  germ,  slowly,  gently,  un- 
obtrusively, is  the  order.  That  germ  is 
the  call  of  the  Lord,  which  has  resulted 
in  the  genuine  conversion  of  the  child. 
At  some  time  the  Holy  Spirit  has  renewed 
the  nature,  —  when,  you  may  never  learn, 
unless   the   angels   tell    you,   by   and   by, 


30  The  Sunrise 

when  they  sang  the  song  of  this  new  birth 
in  Christ. 

But  if  the  date  of  the  new  birth  is  not 
recorded  with  pen  and  ink,  the  evidences 
of  that  supreme  event  will  surely  appear. 
What  are  they?  I  reply  that  it  would  not 
be  possible  to  enumerate  them.  We  may, 
however,  speak  of  three  principal,  dis- 
tinctive characteristics,  which  seldom  fail 
to  be  noticed. 

An  increasing  conscientiousness.  Some 
one  has  said  that  conscience  is  God's 
voice  in  the  soul.  We  are  certain  that 
a  sensitive,  intelligent  conscience  is  proof 
of  godliness.  The  godly  man  distin- 
guishes bet\veen  right  and  wrong,  and  he 
always  aims  to  do  what  is  right.  Con- 
science is  an  old-time  judge  on  the  Bench, 
to  whom  questions  are  submitted  for  de- 
cision. The  judge  must  be  wise  and 
honest  if  his  decisions  are  to  prove  help- 
ful. An  ignorant  judge  is  useless,  even  if 
he  is  honest;  and  a  wise  judge  is  danger- 
ous if  he  is  not  honest.  It  is  so  with  con- 
science. As  a  guide,  it  must  be  educated. 
Men    may   be    perfectly  conscientious   in 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  3 1 

believing  a  lie,  and  entirely  conscientious, 
as  Saul  of  Tarsus  felt  himself  to  be,  in  com- 
mitting very  great  crimes.  Religion  edu- 
cates conscience.  When,  therefore,  you 
discover  that  a  child  is  increasingly  and 
wisely  and  honestly  conscientious,  you  may 
look  for  stronger  evidences  of  the  call  of 
the  Lord ;  but  you  must  look  in  hope. 

Repentance  towards  God.  A  Christian 
child  will  do  wrong  just  as  a  Christian 
man  will.  He  will  get  angry,  and  be  sel- 
fish, and  will  strike  his  playmate,  and 
will  use  many ''  words  better  left  unsaid." 
Then  he  will  be  sorry;  but  his  sorrow 
will  quickly  have  an  upward  as  well  as 
an  outward  look.  He  will  turn  to  God, 
as  David  did  when  he  had  wronged  Uriah 
and  his  household,  and  he  will  say  with 
David :  *'  Against  thee,  thee  only,  have  I 
sinned,  and  done  this  evil  in  thy  sight."  Re- 
pentance is  the  instinct  of  religion.  When 
you  observe  repentance,  then  may  you  be- 
lieve that  the  Lord  has  called  the  child. 

Interest  in  sacred  things, — the  Bible, 
prayer,  the  services  of  the  sanctuary, 
Christian  society,  benevolent  work.     This 


32  The  Sunrise 

interest  must  develop.  Gradually  the 
Bible  will  exhibit  its  treasures,  and  they 
will  be  found  to  be  personal.  Prayer, 
too,  will  come  to  mean  much  more  than 
saying  a  morning  or  an  evening  prayer. 
The  services  of  God's  house  will  ere  long 
discover  their  profit  and  enjoyment.  The 
friendship  of  good  men  and  women  will  be 
especially  prized.  The  question,  ''  Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?"  will  find 
its  way  from  the  heart  to  the  lips. 

We  can  well  afford  to  wait,  if  we  only 
wait  with  a  welcome,  and  not  with  a  frown. 
Our  holy  religion,  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ,  is  the  sweetest,  brightest,  most  en- 
joyable thing  in  the  world.  Old  people 
cannot  monopolize  it;  and  they  do  not 
wish  to  do  so.  It  is  for  children.  It  meets 
their  wants ;  it  is  essential  to  their  happi- 
ness. To  them  it  has  the  promise  of  the 
life  that  now  is,  as  well  as  of  the  life  which 
is  to  come.  Little  children,  young  men 
and  maidens,  our  blessed  Lord  wants  to  be 
your  friend.  He  asks  you  to  receive  his 
friendship.  Do  not  reject  him,  do  not  live 
without  him. 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  33 


CHILDREN    CALLED   TO   CHRIST. 

Like  mist  on  the  mountain, 
Like  ships  on  the  sea, 
So  swiftly  the  years 
Of  our  pilgrimage  flee. 
In  the  grave  of  our  fathers 
How  soon  we  shall  lie  ! 
Dear  children,  to-day 
To  a  Saviour  fly  ! 

How  sweet  are  the  flowerets 

In  April  and  May  ! 

But  often  the  frost  makes 

Them  wither  away. 

Like  flowers  you  may  fade  : 

Are  you  ready  to  die  ? 

While  yet  "  there  is  room," 

To  a  Saviour  fly. 

When  Samuel  was  young, 
He  first  knew  the  Lord  ; 
He  slept  in  his  smile, 
And  rejoiced  in  his  word. 
So  most  of  God's  children 
Are  early  brought  nigh. 
Oh  !  seek  him  in  youth, 
To  a  Saviour  fly. 
3 


34      The  Sunrise  of  the  Day  of  Grace, 

Do  you  ask  me  for  pleasure  ? 
Then  lean  on  his  breast  ; 
For  there  the  sin-laden 
And  weary  find  rest. 
In  the  valley  of  death 
You  will  triumphing  cry : 
"  If  this  be  called  dying, 
'T  is  pleasant  to  die." 

Rev.  Robert  Murray  McCheyne. 


NOONDAY. 


And  he  said  unto  them,  The  kings  of  the  Gen- 
tiles exercise  lordship  over  them;  and  they  that 
exercise  authority  upon  them  are  called  be7ief actors. 
But  ye  shall  not  be  so:  but  he  that  is  greatest 
a?nong  you,  let  hitn  be  as  the  younger ;  and  he  that 
is  chief,  as  he  that  doth  serve.  For  whether  is 
greater,  he  that  sitteth  at  7?teat,  or  he  that  serveth  f 
is  not  he  that  sitteth  at  7neat  ?  but  I  am  a7nong 
you  as  he  that  serveth.  —  Luke  xxii.  25-27. 


NOONDAY. 


STRENGTH  means  authority.  The 
strong  man  will  always  be  superior 
to  the  weak  man.  God  has  not  made  an 
equal  distribution  of  the  talents  which  are 
influential.  *^  The  rich  and  the  poor  meet 
together."  Wealth  is  often  an  inheritance ; 
and  again,  poverty  is  transmitted  from  gen- 
eration to  generation.  There  are  names 
which  are  written  upon  every  page  of  a 
nation's  history;  and  there  are  other  names 
which  have  never  been  associated  with  a 
conspicuous  action.  Physical  beauty  is 
the  equipment  of  only  a  few  lives;  and 
unusual  moral  force  is  a  limited  character- 
istic. The  diversity  of  gifts  which  is  ap- 
parent in  every  social  organization  affords 
no  encouragement  to  the  Communist,  who 
expects  to  introduce  the  new  heavens  and 


38  The  Noonday 

the  new  earth  by  his  theories  of  equality. 
Men  are  not  created  equal,  although  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  says  that 
they  are.  The  statement  is  an  error.  The 
start  in  life  is  never  even.  The  advan- 
tages and  the  disadvantages  are  evident 
at  a  glance.  What  equality  is  there  be- 
tween a  little  street-arab,  whose  parentage 
is  unknown,  and  the  child  of  a  Christian 
home,  whose  sturdy  ancestors  for  many 
years  have  felt  the  strong  current  of  pure, 
honest  blood  in  their  veins? 

Strength  has  always  asserted  itself.  It 
is  natural  to  use  it;  God  gives  it  for  use. 
The  command  of  armies  and  the  ability  to 
rule  nations  are  a  testimony  to  the  su- 
perior qualities  of  men  who  have  gained 
prominence.  They  have  yoked  their 
strength  with  their  patriotism  or  their  am- 
bition, and  thus  have  driven  themselves 
to  the  heights  of  fame.  Born  to  lead,  they 
have  quickly  accepted  their  birthright; 
and  the  world  has  been  blessed  or  cursed 
by  the  exercise  of  their  authority.  Thus 
Alexander  the  Great  spread  the  Greek 
culture  over  the  Orient;   and  Julius  Caesar 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  39 

placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  Roman 
legions  and  made  the  City  of  the  Seven 
Hills  the  capital  of  the  world;  and  Con- 
stantine  gave  Christianity  an  imperial  re- 
cognition; and  Charlemagne  held  back 
the  barbaric  influences  which  threatened 
to  destroy  the  science,  the  art,  and  the 
religion  of  western  Europe ;  and  Martin 
Luther  struck  the  blow  which  shattered 
the  despotism  of  the  Papacy;  and  Napo- 
leon Bonaparte  aroused  France,  and  Eng- 
land too,  from  a  lethargy  which  was  the 
unthoughtful  retention  of  a  worn-out  feu- 
dal system;  and  Bismarck  compacted 
the  German  empire;  and  Lincoln  made 
the  freedom  of  America  a  grand  reality; 
and  Gladstone  is  braving  the  hatred  of 
''  the  classes  against  the  masses,"  that  he 
may  see  justice  done  to  Ireland  before  he 
closes  his  splendid  career. 

But  if  strength  means  authority,  —  as  it 
certainly  does,  —  it  is  essential  that  the  na- 
ture of  the  authority  should  be  intelligently 
understood.  What  is  it?  ''The  kings  of 
the  Gentiles,"  said  the  Master,  '*  exercise 
lordship  over  them ;   and  they  that  exercise 


40  The  Noonday 

authority  upon  them  are  called  benefac- 
tors." Theirs  is  the  authority  of  despot- 
ism, or,  at  best,  of  condescension.  They 
are  acquainted  only  with  the  heathen  idea. 
Might  makes  right  in  their  estimate.  They 
have  won  authority,  and  so  they  will  use 
it  as  they  please.  If  they  are  considerate, 
then  they  are  benefactors,  rather  than  just 
rulers.  Self  is  enthroned,  even  deified, 
and  the  worship  of  self  goes  on  unceas- 
ingly. But  it  is  very  easy  to  burn  a  can- 
dle, or  to  scatter  a  little  incense,  or  to 
offer  a  brief  adoration  to  self,  when  strength 
has  given  authority. 

The  Master,  however,  says :  *'  No ;  the 
heathen  idea  is  a  mistake.  The  authority 
of  service  is  alone  commendable.  He  that 
is  greatest  among  you,  let  him  be  as  the 
younger;  and  he  that  is  chief,  as  he  that 
doth  serve."  His  is  the  Christian  law. 
Strength  has  always  a  ministry  to  fulfil. 
The  truest  dignity  is  found  in  the  most 
abundant  helpfulness.  Let  it  be  our  aim 
to  consider  this  law  of  the  new  kingdom  in 
its  statement,  its  principle,  and  its  rewards 
and  penalties. 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  41 

The  statement  of  the  Christian  law  of 
authority.  "  I  am  debtor,"  writes  Paul, 
"■  both  to  the  Greeks  and  to  the  barbarians, 
both  to  the  wise  and  to  the  unwise."  The 
Apostle  might  have  asserted  himself.  He 
was  a  recognized  leader  in  the  Church,  yet 
he  had  **  not  so  learned  Christ."  His 
opportunity  increased  his  responsibility. 
"  Not  for  that  we  have  dominion  over  your 
faith,  but  are  helpers  of  your  joy,"  is  his 
conception  of  the  work  to  which  he  has 
been  called.  "We  then  that  are  strong 
ought  to  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  weak, 
and  not  to  please  ourselves."  Again  he 
states  his  mind  concerning  the  duties  which 
engage  him.  As  Peter  has  said  in  his 
epistle,  no  one  is  to  be  a  lord  over  God's 
heritage,  but  we  are  to  be  ensamples  to 
the  flock,  constantly  ministering,  and  that 
is  always  serving.  The  immediate  dis- 
ciples of  Christ  tried  to  use  every  advan- 
tage of  wealth,  of  knowledge,  and  of 
influence  to  make  all  men  know  how 
great  is  God's  love,  and  how  complete  is 
the  salvation  of  our  Redeemer.  There 
was  very  little  selfishness  among  the  early 


42  The  Noonday 

Christians.  They  left  home  and  kindred, 
they  rehnquished  fortunes  and  life's  com- 
forts, and  then  they  went  everywhere, 
preaching  the  word.  '*  None  of  us  liveth 
to  himself,"  was  their  motto.  The  world 
was  in  ignorance  and  despair,  and  they 
were  glad  to  bring  the  relief  which  their 
Lord  had  promised.  Beautiful  was  their 
life,  adorned  by  the  self-denying  virtues 
of  a  Barnabas,  a  Timothy,  a  Luke,  and  a 
Dorcas. 

They,  however,  were  simply  following 
in  the  footsteps  of  the  Master,  who  always 
went  about  doing  good.  He  might  have 
excused  himself.  He  was  rich,  and  yet 
for  our  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  we 
through  his  poverty  might  be  rich.  In- 
finite resources  of  power  and  glory  were 
his  when  he  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a 
servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of 
men.  From  his  throne  he  could  look  over 
the  entire  universe  as  his  domain,  he 
could  call  upon  every  force  as  his  obedient 
servant,  he  could  command  the  service  of 
all  finite  intelligences  as  his  right.  "All 
power  is  given  unto  me,"  is  his  conscious 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  43 

announcement,  **  in  heaven  and  in  earth." 
We  cannot  estimate  his  wealth ;  it  is  far, 
far  above  our  finite  understanding.  Yet 
when  he  appeared  among  his  subjects, 
what  was  his  attitude?  Did  he  bestow  his 
blessings  in  a  patronizing  manner?  Did 
he  ever  fail  to  convey  the  impression  that 
he  was  here,  "  not  to  be  ministered  unto, 
but  to  minister"?  ''I  am  among  you  as 
he  that  serveth ;  "  and  that  not  in  any 
patronizing  spirit,  but  cordially,  grandly, 
intelligently.  He  had  no  desire  to  apolo- 
gize for  his  work;  the  work,  such  as  it 
was,  was  in  harmony  with  his  nature.  He 
was  living  a  splendid  truth,  consequently 
he  never  held  back  from  distress,  never 
refused  to  comfort  sorrow,  never  kept 
himself  aloof  or  in  reserve.  *'  The  ex- 
ample of  Christ,"  says  Canon  Westcott  in 
a  recent  essay,  "  so  far  as  it  is  proposed  for 
our  imitation,  is  always  the  example  of 
patience,  of  self-surrender,  of  serving,  of 
suffering.  The  voice  which  calms  and 
strengthens  us  is  that  voice  of  prevailing 
love  which  establishes  its  power  on  tender- 
ness, and   its  right  to   teach   on  humility. 


44  The  Noonday 

'Take  my  yoke  upon  you  and  learn  of  me,' 
Christ  said,  not  because  I  am  irresistible 
with  the  plenitude  of  divine  might,  not 
because  I  am  omniscient  with  the  fulness 
of  divine  vision,  but  '  because  I  am  meek 
and  lowly  in  heart.' "  This  is  the  key  to 
the  matchless  life;  only  as  we  appreciate 
the  naturalness,  the  sweetness,  the  benig- 
nity of  the  condescension,  can  we  realize 
that  ''  the  Lord's  words  make  clear  beyond 
doubt  that  the  blessing  of  power  *  is  the 
blessing  of  great  cares,'  that  the  sign  of 
authority  is  the  readiness  to  serve." 

The  principle  of  Ihe  Christian  law  of 
authority.  Every  substantial  law  must  be 
the  expression  of  a  principle.  Laws  are 
often  enacted  by  human  legislation  which 
are  simply  the  arbitrary  announcements 
of  majorities.  No  true  principle  underlies 
them.  They  quickly  exhibit  their  weak- 
ness and  folly,  and  then  they  are  repealed, 
or  else  disregarded  entirely.  No  law  can 
expect  to  secure  permanent  recognition  if 
its  principle  is  false.  Sooner  or  later  its 
real  character  will  be  discovered.  It  is 
important,  therefore,  in  every  instance  that 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  45 

diligent  inquiry  should  be  made  for  the 
principle  of  a  law;  and  if  that  principle 
stands  out  as  a  distinct  truth  of  God,  it  is 
certain  that  the  law  announcing  it  will 
ultimately  prevail.  Principles  are  to  laws 
what  wheat  is  to  bread.  Laws  may  be 
modified ;  their  statements  need  adaptation 
to  circumstances,  just  as  bread  will  become 
stale,  and  as  bread  of  one  kind  may  not  be 
equally  palatable  to  all  men.  But  prin- 
ciples may  be  utilized  in  many  different 
ways,  even  as  wheat  may  be  carried  to  dis- 
tant continents  and  to  islands  of  the  seas 
for  the  bread-making  of  diverse  nations 
and  tribes. 

It  is  well,  too,  to  realize  that  the  great 
principles  of  the  divine  administration  are 
the  same  in  all  the  many  departments  of 
the  government  of  God.  In  other  words, 
God  does  not  employ  one  set  of  principles 
in  framing  the  laws  of  Nature,  and  another 
distinct  set  in  forming  the  laws  of  grace. 
We  in  our  limited  range  of  observation 
have  been  inclined  to  separate  the  depart- 
ments of  Nature  and  of  grace :  whereas,  as 
we  may  learn  from  Psalm  xix.,  they  are 


46  The  Noonday 

most  intimately  related.  The  same  God 
rules  over  both,  and  the  same  principles 
obtain  in  both.  **  The  heavens  declare  the 
glory  of  God ;  and  the  firmament  sheweth 
his  handy\vork,"  —  that  is  Nature.  "The 
law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the 
soul,"  —  that  is  grace.  The  cross  of  the  Re- 
deemer is  the  grandest  known  expression 
of  the  principle  of  mediation;  and  yet 
every  student  of  vegetable  and  animal  life 
knows  that  mediation  is  the  basis  of  many 
an  interesting  law.  Says  Hugh  Macmillan 
of  Scotland :  '^  The  first  animal  that  gave 
up  its  life  to  nourish  the  life  of  another  was 
an  unconscious  type,  like  the  murdered  in- 
nocents of  Bethlehem,  of  the  Lamb  slain 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  There 
is  thus  a  sufficient  family  likeness  between 
the  types  of  God's  word  and  the  types  in 
his  works  to  warrant  us  in  ascribing  them 
to  the  same  divine  origin,  and  in  believing 
that  they  refer  to  the  same  great  object, 
which  consecrates  and  ennobles  them 
both."  Such  a  recognition  certainly  does 
give  us  a  firmer  grasp  upon  eternal  prin- 
ciples,   and    a   renewed   consideration   for 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  47 

their  statements  in  forms  of  law.  Chris- 
tianity is  no  longer  to  be  looked  upon  as 
a  surprise  or  an  after-thought;  it  is  a 
part  of  the  economy  of  God,  —  an  essen- 
tial part,  towards  whose  glorious  consum- 
mation "■  the  whole  creation  groaneth  and 
travaileth  in  pain  together  until  now." 

What  then  is  the  principle  of  this  pro- 
phetic Christian  law  of  authority?  The  law 
is  clearly  written  on  the  pages  of  the  Bible, 
our  statute-book ;  and  the  records  of  Chris- 
tian living  and  of  the  life  of  the  Master 
himself  afford  beautiful  illustrations  of  the 
law  as  it  stands  for  our  obedience.  Now, 
what  is  its  principle?  Shall  we  err  if  we 
state  it  in  these  terms?  ^' Strejtgth  is  for 
service ;"  and  that  is  true  of  all  strength, 
as  to  quantity  and  as  to  quality.  Strength 
means  authority;  and  therefore  the  Chris- 
tian law  of  authority  has  beneath  it  this 
noble  principle.  When  you  were  a  child 
you  had  only  a  little  strength ;  a  few  pen- 
nies made  up  your  income.  You  did  not 
know  much ;  you  had  few  opportunities ; 
and  yet  from  the  first  you  had  some 
strength  and   some  authority.      How  did 


48  The  Noonday 

you  behave?  Were  you  ever  taught  that 
your  childish  strength  was  for  usefulness, 
that  such  as  it  was,  it  was  called  to  service ; 
or  did  you  not  get  the  impression  that  if 
you  denied  yourself  a  few  candies,  and 
gave  your  money  to  some  poor  person, 
you  were  doing  a  very  admirable  deed, 
and  were,  in  truth,  a  benefactor?  Were 
you  trained  to  realize  that  every  increase 
of  strength  means  an  increase  of  respon- 
sibility in  its  use,  and  that  when  we  use 
our  strength  in  service,  we  are  simply 
doing  our  duty,  nothing  more?  But  a 
man's  attitude  is  not  that  of  a  child.  Man- 
strength  is  not  child-strength.  As  we 
grow  in  years  and  stature,  we  accumulate 
resources  of  one  kind  or  another,  —  knowl- 
edge, money,  personal  influence.  Now, 
what  of  these?  They  must  be  used;  and 
how?  The  heathen  law  and  principle 
would  counsel  self-gratification.  "  Rise 
above  your  fellows,"  says  heathenism, 
*'  and  exercise  lordship  over  them ;  and  if 
you  consider  them  in  any  way,  let  it  be 
understood  that  you  are  a  benefactor." 
That    is    heathenism    pure    and    simple^ 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  49 

whether  you  meet  it  in  New  York  to-day, 
or  read  about  it  in  Antioch  as  it  appeared 
hundreds  of  years  ago.  Heathenism  is  for 
self,  while  Christianity  is  for  others;  for 
Christianity  always  commends  the  good 
Samaritan.  It  has  no  approval  of  self- 
love  or  of  self-interest.  It  always  urges 
us  to  consider  the  other  man,  and  that 
not  as  a  matter  of  favor,  but  of  right.  I 
do  not  think  that  Christianity  wishes  us 
to  pose  as  benefactors  or  eminent  philan- 
thropists, or  anything  of  that  sort.  There 
is  a  great  deal  of  selfish  human  nature  in 
such  posing.  Christianity  asks  us  all  "  to 
do  justly,"  —  that  is  the  first  thing;  and 
then  '*to  love  mercy;  "  and  finally,  **to  walk 
humbly  with  thy  God."  Ruskin  has  a  fine 
remark  in  harmony  with  this  thought. 
He  says :  "  The  one  divine  work,  the  one 
ordered  sacrifice,  is  to  do  justice;  and  it  is 
the  last  we  are  ever  inclined  to  do.  Any- 
thing rather  than  that !  As  much  charity 
as  you  choose,  but  no  justice.  *  Nay,'  you 
will  say,  '  charity  is  greater  than  justice.' 
Yes,  it  is  greater;  it  is  the  summit  of  jus- 
tice; it  is  the  temple  of  which  justice  is 
4  ■ 


50  The  Noonday 

the  foundation.  But  you  cannot  have  the 
top  without  the  bottom;  you  cannot  build 
upon  charity.  .  .  .  Do  justice  to  your 
brother,  —  and  you  can  do  •  that  whether 
you  love  him  or  not,  —  and  you  will  come 
to  love  him." 

"Alas  for  the  rarity 

Of  Christian  charity 

Under  the  sun  !  " 

How  little  honest  love  there  is  between 
man  and  his  brother  man !  We  are  but 
playing  with  love  when  we  talk  and  sing 
and  act  as  we  do ;  our  castles  are  all  in 
the  air;  our  love-pictures  of  an  approach- 
ing golden  age  are  the  mirage  of  the 
desert.  But  Jesus  was  a  practical  re- 
former, and  we  may  be  sure  that  he  left 
no  plans  for  castles  in  the  air.  The  mag- 
nificent structure  which  he  planned  is 
built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles 
and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  being  its  chief 
corner-stone.  To  this  structure  the  prin- 
ciple, ^^  Strength  is  for  service,''  is  essential. 
If  we  recognize  the  personal  obligations  of 
this  principle,  we  shall  be  far  on  the  way 
towards  Christ-like  living. 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  51 

For  the  perfect  naturalness  of  this  princi- 
ple is  one  of  its  distinguishing  characteris- 
tics,—  naturalness  as  respects  its  agreement 
with  eternal  truth  and  with  the  activity  of 
God.      It   is  natural  that  strength  should 
serve.     God  is  omnipotent,  and  who  fails 
to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  his  service?     *'  He 
maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on 
the   good,  and    sendeth   rain  on   the   just 
and    on   the   unjust."      He   dispenses    his 
bounty  with  an  open  hand.    He  is  so  mag- 
nanimous  that   he  seldom   makes  us  feel 
that   he    is    doing   some    especial   service. 
"  Is  n't  it  wonderful  that  he  should   treat 
us    so !  "    exclaimed    the    penitent  whose 
heart  had  just  been  touched  by  the  grace 
of  God;    and   his   negro    slave,  who   had 
long  time  been  a  man  of  faith  and  prayer, 
answered    promptly:     ''No,    massa;     it's 
just  like  him."     Now,  God's  thought  must 
be  ours,  and  God's  attitude  must  be  ours, 
if  we  are  to  excel.     His  principle  is  to  be 
expressed   in  our  laws.     ''  Strength  is  for 
serviced     It  must  overflow  in  service,  as 
the  fountain   overflows    in  fertility  to  the 
plain;   it  must  bloom  into  service,  as  the 


52  The  Noonday 

seed  germinates,  and  finds  the  beauty  of 
flower  and  of  fruit;  it  must  express  itself 
in  service,  as  a  mother's  love  for  a  sickly 
child  accepts  gladly  the  monotony  of 
nights  and  days  of  confinement.  Spon- 
taneous and  cordial  must  be  the  service 
of  Christian  strength;  then,  and  not  till 
then,  it  will  conquer  the  selfishness  of  the 
world. 

The  rewards  and  penalties  of  the  Chris- 
tian law  of  authority.  These  are  number- 
less. Some  of  them  are  known  here  in 
this  world,  and  some  of  them  will  be 
known  in  the  next.  The  "  Come,  ye 
blessed,"  and  the  "  Depart,  ye  cursed,"  of 
our  Lord's  great  judgment-scene  were  pro- 
nounced in  view  of  the  uses  of  strength. 
"  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  fed  me ;  "  **  I  was 
naked,  and  ye  left  me  so." 

To  the  individual,  the  law  means  the 
very  best  of  life's  returns,  or  the  worst.  If 
he  obeys  the  law,  and  lives  as  the  Master 
directs,  he  will  be  happy  and  useful; 
whereas  if  he  disregards  the  law  and  lives 
in  opposition  to  its  teaching,  he  cannot  be 
truly  happy,  nor  can  he  be  useful,  although 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  53 

God  may  use  him  in  spite  of  himself,  even 
as  he  makes  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise 
him. 

Settle  the  matter  early  in  life,  my  friend, 
and  understand  that  you  are  here  to  serve. 
Such  is  your  attitude  as  a  human  being. 
Do  not  think  too  much  about  philan- 
thropy, or  about  pity  for  the  masses,  or 
about  your  condescending  to  work  for  the 
ignorant;  but  just  understand  that  you  are 
to  serve  with  such  strength  as  you  have, 
and  to  serve  because  it  is  the  right  and  the 
manly  —  nay,  the  God-like  —  thing  to  do ; 
that  any  other  conception  of  life  is  con- 
temptible ;  that  any  other  use  of  opportu- 
nity is  heathenish  rather  than  Christian; 
that  every  increment  of  strength,  whether 
of  money,  of  knowledge,  or  of  influence, 
means  new  opportunity  and  a  new  call. 
Then  the  true  self,  that  hidden  man  of  the 
heart,  will  steadily  expand;  then  the  eye 
will  grow  brighter,  and  the  range  of  vision 
will  enlarge ;  then  God  will  be  companion- 
able, and  the  things  of  God  will  be  the 
enduring  riches,  whose  enjoyment  has 
eternity  for  its  day. 


54  The  Noonday 

But  if  it  be  otherwise,  if  you  disregard 
the  law  of  Christ,  you  must  suffer,  and 
suffer  forever.  With  strength  misused, 
with  opportunities  neglected,  you  may 
become  very  rich,  and  very  learned  too, 
and  very  influential,  and  exercise  author- 
ity, and  be  accounted  a  benefactor,  just 
as  it  was  with  the  kings  of  the  Gentiles 
in  our  Lord's  day.  But  you  cannot  be 
happy,  —  with  the  Bible  in  your  dwelling 
you  cannot  be  happy  if  you  live  the  heath- 
en's idea;  and  when  you  meet  God,  and  he 
asks  you  why  you  have  lived  so,  you  will 
be  speechless,  with  the  Bible  in  your  hand. 
Poor,  mistaken  soul !  there  is  no  living 
over  again  a  human  life.  Selfishness  has 
commanded  the  service  of  strength,  and 
this  is  the  miserable  end  of  the  service. 
Speechless  in  the  presence  of  God,  the 
wretched  soul  is  dismissed  to  the  left  hand, 
where  the  idea  of  heathenism  must  be  in- 
corporated in  many  laws. 

To  the  community  the  law  of  Christ  is 
the  earnest  of  progress.  If  this  law  is  dis- 
regarded, as  it  is,  and  as  it  has  been  for 
centuries,  the  many  evils  of  our  social  sys- 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  5  5 

tern   are   inevitable.     We  can   make  very 
little  advance  against  crime  and  degrada- 
tion and    poverty   until  we    consider   one 
another.    Institutional  charity,  always  pop- 
ular, is  fairly  good ;   but  it  does  not  begin 
to  be   as   good  as  the  personal,  generous 
activity   of   unnumbered    Christian    lives. 
Let  it  be  known,  and  widely  known,  that 
the  law  of  Christ  is  to  be  operative ;  that 
every  man   in   authority,  be  he   emperor, 
king,  president,  or  governor,  is  conscious 
that  he  is  only  a  minister ;   that  every  man 
of  wealth  is  convinced  that  he  is  only  a 
steward ;   that  every  man  of  intelligence  is 
persuaded  that  he  holds  his  knowledge  in 
the  service  of  his  fellow-men;   that  every 
favored  child  is  taught  that  he  must  think 
of  those  less  favored,  —  and  what  a  thrill  of 
strange  hope  would  pass  over  the  world ! 
How  the  dwellers    in  wretched  tenements 
would  rejoice  in  the  expressions  of  strong, 
rich  sympathy !     How  the  oppressed  and 
down-trodden    masses    of    the    old   world 
would  respond  to  a  greeting  which  would 
seem  like  a  stirring  of  the  leaves  after  a 
long    pestilential   drought!      How  young 


56  The  Noonday 

men  and  maidens  would  clasp  hands  with 
their  seniors  who  could  enter  cordially 
into  the  feelings  of  the  youthful  heart ! 

"  If  the  vision  tarry,  wait  for  it."  And 
so  we  will.  Christ's  law  is  based  upon  the 
truth  of  God ;  and  that  truth  will  prevail. 
Men  will  welcome  it.  Then  it  will  assert 
itself;  and  finally  its  triumph  will  appear 
in  a  happy,  prosperous,  contented  social 
order,  which  shall  obtain  in  every  quarter 
of  the  globe. 

There  was  once  a  queen  —  so  runs  a 
beautiful  story  of  the  children  —  who  was 
sick  with  a  painful  malady,  and  whose  re- 
covery was  promised  if  the  world's  fairest 
rose  could  be  found.  This  rose  was  to 
be  the  expression  of  the  purest  love.  In 
every  direction  faithful  subjects  looked 
eagerly  for  roses,  and  the  sick-room  was 
fragrant  with  the  perfume  of  their  offer- 
ings. *'  The  rose  of  first  love  was  brought, 
and  the  rose  of  science,  and  the  rose  of 
maternal  affection,  and  the  rose  of  sorrow. 
But  in  vain.  Health  refused  to  come,  and 
death  seemed  imminent. 

''  *  I  have  seen  at  the  altar/  said  a  pious 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  57 

old  bishop,  *  the  world's  fairest  rose.  A 
band  of  maidens  were  at  the  Holy  Table 
of  our  Lord  to  confess  their  faith;  and 
among  them  was  one  whose  simple  purity 
was  radiant  with  devotion,  so  that  I  felt 
that  I  was  witnessing  the  truest  love.' 

*'  *  Blessed,  thrice  blessed  is  piety,'  re- 
plied the  sage ;  *  still,  thou  hast  not  found 
the  world's  fairest  rose.' 

"  Then  came  the  little  son  of  the  queen, 
with  glistening  and  tearful  eyes  and  out- 
stretched hands,  on  which  rested  a  silver- 
clasped  book. 

" '  Mother,  oh  mother,'  he  exclaimed, 
*  listen  to  what  I  have  been  reading.' 
And  he  sat  beside  her,  and  read  from 
the  Book  of  Him  who  so  loved  the  world 
that  he  gave  himself  up  to  death  to  save 
sinners. 

''And  a  faint  rosy  gleam  passed  over 
the  queen's  cheek,  and  her  eyes  grew 
brighter  and  brighter,  and  her  limbs  felt 
new  strength,  for  there  was  wafted  to  her 
the  fragrance  of  the  world's  Fairest  Rose, 
—  the  Rose  that  sprang  forth  from  the 
sacred  blood  of  Calvary. 


58  The  Noonday 

'*  *  I  see  it !  '  she  said  exultingly  as  she 
sprang  from  her  couch.  '  Never  can  one 
die  who  looks  upon  that  Rose,  the  fairest 
in  the  world.  Justice  is  its  strength,  and 
love  is  its  beauty,  while  grace  is  the  per- 
fume which  it  freely  scatters.'  " 

"  I  am  among  you  as  he  that  serveth." 
Think  of  the  Master;  then  use  your 
authority  as  he  used  his. 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  59 


WORK. 

What  are  we  set  on  earth  for  ?     Say,  to  toil, 

Nor  seek  to  leave  thy  tending  of  the  vines, 

For  all  the  heat  of  day,  till  it  declines, 

And  death's  mild  curfew  shall  from  work  assoil. 

God  did  anoint  thee  with  his  odorous  oil 

To  wrestle,  not  to  reign!     And  he  assigns 

All  thy  tears  over,  like  pure  crystallines, 

For  younger  fellow-workers  of  the  soil 

To  wear  for  amulets.     So  others  shall 

Take  patience,  labor,  to  their  heart  and  hand 

From  thy  hand  and  thy  heart  and  thy  brave  cheer, 

And  God's  grace  fructify  through  thee  to  all. 

The  least  flower,  with  a  brimming  cup,  may  stand 

And  share  its  dew-drop  with  another  near. 

Elizabeth  Barrett  Browning. 


SUNSET. 


The  righteous  shall  flourish  like  the  pahn  tree  : 
he  shall  grow  like  a  cedar  in  Lebano?i.  Those  that 
be  plaftted  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  shall  flourish  in 
the  cotirts  of  our  God.  They  shall  still  bring  forth 
fruit  in  old  age  j  they  shall  be  fat  and  flourishing ; 
to  shew  that  the  Lord  is  upright:  he  is  my  rockj 
and  there  is  no  unrighteousness  in  him.  —  Ps.  xcii. 
12-15. 


SUNSET. 


THE  Psalmist  must  have  had  many  aged 
friends  whose  Hves  were  useful  and 
beautiful  in  the  service  of  God.  His  psalm 
is  an  accurate  description  of  the  origin  and 
development  of  the  graces  which  are  the 
adornment  of  aged  saints.  The  palm-tree 
and  the  cedar  of  Lebanon  are  his  com- 
parisons as  he  indicates  the  method  of 
growth  whose  perfection  is  so  attractive. 
Nature  asks  for  many  years  in  which  to 
mature  the  palm-tree  or  the  cedar.  They 
respond  slowly  to  the  influences  of  soil 
and  climate.  But  their  strength  and  fruit- 
fulness  abide  when  other  trees,  ''which 
spring  as  the  grass,"  have  decayed  and 
perished.  '*  The  palm  grows  slowly,"  says 
Dr.  Thomson  in  "The  Land  and  the 
Book,"  "  from  generation  to  generation, 
uninfluenced  by  those  alternations  of  the 


64  The  Sunset 

seasons  which  affect  other  trees.  It  does 
not  rejoice  overmuch  in  winter's  copious 
rain,  nor  does  it  droop  under  the  drought 
and  the  burning  sun  of  summer.  Neither 
heavy  weights  which  men  place  upon  its 
head,  nor  the  importunate  urgency  of  the 
wind  can  sway  it  aside  from  its  upright- 
ness. There  it  stands,  looking  calmly 
down  upon  the  world  below,  and  pa- 
tiently yielding  its  large  clusters  of  golden 
fruit  from  season  to  season.  They  still 
bring  forth  fruit  in  old  age."  This  in- 
telligent writer,  so  long  a  resident  of  Pal- 
estine, was  on  a  visit  to  the  cedars  of 
Lebanon  when  he  wrote  that  "  these  old 
trees  around  us,  and  most  of  those  on 
the  highest  ridges  of  the  mountain,  ex- 
tending for  several  miles  to  the  south, 
are  genuine  representatives  of  Lebanon's 
most  ancient  groves  of  cedars.  There 
need  be  no  hesitation  in  regarding  them 
as  the  surviving  descendants  of  those  for- 
ests whence  Hiram's  skilled  hewers  of 
timber  cut  down  cedar-trees  for  Solomon 
to  use  in  building  and  beautifying  the 
temple  of  the  Lord  at  Jerusalem.     They 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  6$ 

have  not   died  out  or  been   replanted  by 
man  since  that  distant  day." 

Thus  the  righteous  flourish  and  grow. 
Time  leaves  its  marks  upon  them ;  but  they 
are  marks  of  increasing  vigor  and  useful- 
ness. ''  The  young  Christian  is  lovely,  like 
a  tree  with  the  blossoms  of  spring;  the 
aged  Christian  is  valuable,  like  a  tree  in 
autumn  bending  with  ripe  fruit."  Grace 
secures  a  mellowness  of  experience  which 
God  gathers  for  his  own  use  in  heaven 
when  it  is  perfectly  ripe.  Meanwhile  it  is 
a  witness  to  his  fidelity,  a  little  gospel  in 
the  life  of  holiness,  '*  to  shew  that  the  Lord 
is  upright."  The  aged  servants  of  the  Lord 
are  here,  amid  the  busy  scenes  of  active  life, 
to  speak  calmly  and  wisely  of  the  deep  sig- 
nificance which  each  event  of  life  contains, 
to  illustrate  in  patience  and  in  hope  the 
precious  truths  to  which  they  have  long 
time  given  their  assent,  and  to  prove  a 
benediction  of  love  and  sympathy  to  the 
homes  which  are  privileged  to  shelter  them. 

"  For  age  is  opportunity  no  less 
Than  youth  itself,  though  in  another  dress ; 
And  as  the  evening  twilight  fades  away, 
The  sky  is  filled  with  stars  invisible  by  day." 
5 


66  The  Sunset 

In  old  age  God's  servants  "  shew  that 
the  Lord  is  upright "  as  they  recognize 
the  providential  interest  that  has  deter- 
mined their  lives.  It  is  perhaps  an  easy- 
thing  to  discover  the  providential  interest 
of  God  in  one  or  two  of  the  ordinary  events 
of  life.  There  are  many  cheap  interpreters 
who  are  ready  to  expound  the  thought  of 
God.  We  listen  with  amazement  to  their 
familiarity,  and  even  flippancy,  and  then 
regret  that  upon  themes  like  these  there  is 
not  more  of  reverence.  The  providence  of 
God  is  a  profound  study  which  may  prop- 
erly engage  the  thoughtful  mind  for  a  life- 
time. We  are  always  inclined  to  accept  as 
providential  those  circumstances  which  are 
peculiarly  favorable  to  ourselves  or  pecu- 
liarly destructive  to  interests  which  we  op- 
pose. The  south  wind  which  speeds  as  on 
our  way  may  be  a  head-wind  to  our  brothers 
who  are  seeking  a  warmer  clime.  Have 
we,  therefore,  the  monopoly  of  providence? 
The  dynamite  which  destroys  a  synagogue 
of  Satan  may  leave  a  sanctuary  in  ruins  as 
well.  Where  shall  we  locate  the  provi- 
dence?    The  truth  is  that  we  need  a  wider 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  67 

perspective.  The  lines  of  providential  in- 
terest require  time  for  their  observation. 
It  is  not  possible  to  estimate  a  life  aright 
at  the  hour  of  death.  The  pen  of  the  his- 
torian is  constantly  engaged  in  re-writing 
the  verdicts  of  history.  Popular  idols  are 
dethroned,  and  the  misunderstood  and 
misrepresented  heroes  are  exalted.  The 
holy  apostles  and  our  Divine  Lord  en- 
joyed very  little  of  what  we  call  fame 
when  their  earthly  careers  came  to  a  close. 
The  criticism  of  Judaea,  of  Greece,  and  of 
Rome  was  unfavorable  to  them.  But  their 
record  was  safe.  They  were  discreet  and 
honest.  The  future  has  more  than  vindi- 
cated them,  as  they  have  been  assigned 
the  highest  places  on  the  roll  of  fame. 

The  need  of  perspective  is  met,  as  far 
as  it  can  be,  by  God's  aged  servants.  They 
occupy  a  vantage-ground.  They  can  speak 
out  of  a  large  experience.  When  David 
says,  "  I  have  not  seen  the  righteous  for- 
saken, nor  his  seed  begging  bread,"  his 
remark  has  value,  because  he  also  tells  us 
that  he  has  been  young,  and  is  now  old. 
His  is  the  experience  of  one  who  has  seen 


68  The  Sunset 

many  phases  of  life,  and  therefore  it  is 
valuable.  The  patriarch  Jacob  is  led  into 
the  presence  of  the  king  of  Egypt,  and 
there  he  outlines  his  wonderful  career 
from  his  childhood  in  the  tents  of  Isaac 
to  this  hour  in  the  palace  of  the  Pharaohs. 
The  old  man  is  impressively  eloquent  as 
he  points  out  the  providences  which  have 
guided  and  blessed  him.  Pharaoh  listens 
with  intense  interest,  and  accepts  the  bless- 
ing of  Jacob  at  the  close  of  their  memor- 
able interview.  The  Apostle  Paul,  from 
the  barracks  of  the  Praetorian  Guard  in 
Rome,  sends  letters  to  his  beloved  Timo- 
thy and  Titus  and  Philemon,  and  to  many 
of  the  Oriental  churches,  writing  appre- 
ciatively of  God's  tender  care,  which  he 
has  known  *'  in  journeyings  often,  in  perils 
of  waters,  in  perils  of  robbers,  in  perils  by 
mine  own  countrymen,  in  perils  by  the 
heathen,  in  perils  in  the  city,  in  perils  in 
the  wilderness,  in  perils  in  the  sea,  in  perils 
among  false  brethren."  "  Being  such  an 
one  as  Paul  the  aged,  and  now  also  a  pris- 
oner of  Jesus  Christ,"  his  testimony  to  the 
fidelity  of  God   carries  with  it  conviction. 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  6g 

And  what  shall  be  said  of  the  *'  beloved 
disciple,"  who  was  kept  here  by  the  Mas- 
ter until  the  close  of  the  first  century  as 
a  beautiful  specimen  of  holy  living,  and 
whose  feeble  voice  was  often  heard  in 
earnest  commendation  of  the  precious- 
ness  of  love?  He  was  always  mindful  of 
*'the  tenth  hour"  there  by  the  River  Jor- 
dan, which  dated  the  beginning  of  those 
providences  whose  interest  had  never 
ceased;  and  that  later  hour  on  the  shore 
of  the  lake  which  heard  the  announce- 
ment, "  If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come, 
what  is  that  to  thee?"  had  been  discover- 
ing its  hidden  meaning  for  more  than  fifty 
years. 

Thus  faith  is  strengthened  as  God's  aged 
servants  speak.  They  view  the  path  from 
the  hill-top  after  they  have  crossed  the 
meadow  and  the  marsh;  they  look  upon 
the  canvas  when  the  artist  has  nearly  com- 
pleted his  work,  and  the  thoughtful  shades 
of  expression  are  clearly  visible ;  they  read 
the  journal  when  the  last  chapter  is  await- 
ing its  final  word.  It  is  impossible  for 
them  to  resist  the  conviction  that  the  good 


70  The  Sunset 

hand  of  our  God  has  led  them  and  sus- 
tained them  and  encouraged  them.  They 
can  see  that  there  has  been  a  wisdom 
above  their  wisest  plans.  Dangers  have 
been  avoided,  and  temptations  have  been 
repelled.  Calamities  have  failed  of  their 
purpose,  and  disasters  have  been  converted 
into  blessings.  And  now  it  is  pleasant  to 
look  back  and  to  speak  of  the  goodness 
of  the  Lord,  and  still  to  believe  that  the 
past  has  been  an  earnest  of  the  present, 
and  is  a  pledge  of  the  future.  He  who 
has  been  true  to  his  word  for  threescore 
and  ten  years  will  not  forsake  his  servant 
in  the  time  of  old  age.  For  his  promise 
is  on  record  that  "  even  to  your  old  age 
I  am  he;  and  even  to  hoar  hairs  will  I 
carry  you :  I  have  made,  and  I  will  bear ; 
even  I  will  carry,  and  will  deliver  you." 
God  cannot  forsake  his  servants.  He  must 
have  an  especial  love  for  those  who  have 
loved  him  many  years.  This  is  the  teach- 
ing of  Providence,  and  our  aged  friends 
commend  the  lesson  by  the  patience  of 
their  daily  lives.  Let  us  prize  their  in- 
struction.    Our  busy  Western  life  is  some- 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  71 

what  lacking  in  reverence.  The  Orient 
has  more  regard  for  the  aged.  But  our 
Bible  commands  us  to  **  rise  up  before  the 
hoary  head,  and  honor  the  face  of  the  old 
man."  It  is  a  privilege  unspeakable  to 
have  among  us,  not  only  little  children, 
with  their  sweet,  happy  faces,  but  also  the 
aged,  with  the  sunshine  of  Heaven  bright 
upon  their  countenances.  Quietly  wait- 
ing upon  the  confines  of  two  worlds,  now 
looking  back  to  point  out  some  impressive 
feature  of  the  moral  landscape,  and  again 
looking  on  to  speak  of  "■  the  city  which 
hath  foundations,"  an  aged  saint  is  the 
treasure  of  children  and  of  children's 
children ;   as 

"...  On  he  moves  to  meet  his  latter  end. 
Angels  around  befriending  Virtue's  friend; 
Sinks  to  the  grave  with  unperceived  decay, 
While  resignation  gently  slopes  the  way ; 
And,  all  his  prospects  brightening  to  the  last, 
His  heaven  commences  ere  the  world  be  past !  " 

The  uprightness  of  the  Lord  is  evident 
as  the  aged  exhibit  the  practical  value 
of  divine  grace.  The  grace  of  God  is 
dependent  upon  his  uprightness.  The 
largest  foundation-stone  in  the  temple  of 


72  The  Sunset 

redemption  is  justice.  If  God  is  not  faith- 
ful, what  does  it  avail  that  he  is  merciful 
and  kind?  His  mercy  must  rest  upon  his 
fidelity,  and  his  kindness  must  rise  upon 
his  truth.  When  he  speaks,  God  must 
always  command  faith  in  what  he  says. 
When  he  makes  a  promise,  God  must 
always  convince  us  that  he  means  to  fulfil 
his  word.  This  is  one  of  the  reasons  why 
the  love  of  God  is  so  commanding  and 
influential.  It  is  not  a  mere  sentiment. 
It  is  not  divorced  from  other  divine  at- 
tributes. No  one  can  trifle  with  it.  For 
justice  sustains  love,  as  love  tempers  jus- 
tice. And  the  grace  that  pardons  and 
saves  a  sinner  when  penitent  has  in  it  an 
element  of  severity  that  punishes  guilt  and 
turns  away  from  the  hard  and  the  rebel- 
lious heart.  Do  we  not  read  in  Holy 
Scripture  of  *'  the  Lamb  of  God  which 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world"?  And 
does  not  the  sacred  volume  also  make 
mention  of  "  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb "  ? 
Jesus  Christ  the  Saviour  is  considerate 
and  tender  in  his  offers  of  mercy;  but 
when  those  offers  of  mercy  are  rejected, 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  73 

he  takes  his  place  as  judge,  and  the  hands 
of  entreaty  become  the  hands  of  rejection. 
Now  he  calls,  and  says:  ''Come  unto  me, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest."  By  and  by  he 
will  speak  in  other  tones,  to  say :  "  I  never 
knew  you ;  depart  from  me  !  "  When  the 
bridegroom  was  announced,  the  virgins  ten 
arose  and  trimmed  their  lamps.  But  alas  ! 
in  that  supreme  hour  there  were  empty 
vessels  and  no  oil  for  the  burning.  As 
the  bridegroom  entered,  there  went  in  with 
him  the  virgins  five  who  had  oil  in  their 
vessels  with  their  lamps.  ''  And  the  door 
was  shut."  Then  came  the  foolish  vir- 
gins with  sighs  and  lamentations  over  their 
folly;  but  the  appeal  was  of  no  avail,  ''the 
door  was  shut." 

"  *  Have  we  not  heard  the  bridegroom  is  so  sweet  ? 
Oh  let  us  in,  though  late,  to  kiss  his  feet ! ' 
*  No,  no ;  too  late  ;  ye  cannot  enter  now.'  " 

Grace  has  its  limitations.  God's  Spirit 
will  not  always  strive.  There  is  an  even- 
ing twilight  and  darkness  to  the  day  of 
divine  compassion. 

God's  aged  servants  are  witnesses  to  the 
fidelity   of  his   grace.     They   have   made 


74  The  Sunset 

trial  of  grace  under  a  great  variety  of  cir- 
cumstances. It  has  met  their  expecta- 
tions at  all  times.  Polycarp  of  Smyrna 
was  ninety  years  of  age  when  the  hand 
of  the  Roman  persecutor  was  laid  upon 
him.  Descending  to  the  portal  of  his 
dwelling,  he  invited  the  officers  of  the  law 
to  refresh  themselves  with  food  and  drink 
while  he  craved  an  hour  for  quiet  prayer. 
The  beauty  of  the  old  man's  life,  fragrant 
with  devotion  and  adorned  with  number- 
less acts  of  charity,  softened  the  hearts  of 
the  officers ;  and  he  was  simply  asked  to 
say  "  the  emperor,  our  lord,"  and  to 
offer  a  sacrifice  to  the  imperial  deity. 
When  he  quietly  refused,  they  became 
angry;  and  when  the  proconsul  besought 
him  to  regard  his  own  gray  hairs  and  to 
spare  himself  the  humiliation  and  pains 
of  martyrdom  by  cursing  Christ,  the  brave 
old  man  replied  in  language  which  the 
Church  has  not  been  willing  to  let  die : 
**  Six  and  eighty  years  have  I  served  him, 
and  he  has  done  me  nothing  but  good ; 
and  how  could  I  curse  him,  my  Lord  and 
Saviour?"     Then  they  hurried  him  to  the 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  75 

stake  and  heaped  fagots  around  him  and 
kindled  the  fire  while  Polycarp  prayed 
aloud :  "  Lord,  Almighty  God,  Father  of 
thy  beloved  Son  Jesus  Christ,  through 
whom  we  have  received  from  thee  the 
knowledge  of  thyself,  God  of  angels  and 
of  the  whole  creation,  of  the  human  race 
and  of  the  just  that  live  in  thy  presence, 
I  praise  thee  that  thou  hast  judged  me 
worthy  of  this  day  and  of  this  hour  to  take 
part  in  the  number  of  thy  witnesses  in  the 
cup  of  thy  Christ."  Could  anything  be 
more  eloquent?  Could  the  Gospel  secure 
a  more  persuasive  appeal?  Here  was  an 
old  man  of  blameless  life  enduring  insults 
and  intense  sufferings  for  the  sake  of  the 
Redeemer  who  had  been  true  to  him  for 
six  and  eighty  years.  "  What  appeared 
the  greatest  thing  to  the  Church,"  writes 
the  historian,  "  was  not  the  martyr's  death 
of  Polycarp  in  itself,  but  the  Christian 
manner  in  which  it  was  suffered.  They 
expressed  it  as  their  conviction  that  all 
had  been  so  ordered  that  he  might  ex- 
hibit what  was  the  essential  character  of 
evangelical  martyrdom." 


y6  The  Sunset 

The  stake  and  the  rack  and  the  exile 
are  of  the  past ;  but  the  testimony  of  God's 
aged  servants  is  of  the  present.  We  shall 
always  need  it,  and  it  will  always  be  at 
hand.  No  child  can  give  it  as  the  aged 
can ;  for  childhood  lacks  experience.  Ex- 
perience alone  can  test  and  approve  the 
grace  of  God.  Experience,  the  Apostle 
Paul  assures  us,  worketh  hope ;  but  this  is 
true  only  of  Christian  experience.  The 
experience  of  the  world  worketh  disap- 
pointment and  misanthropy  and  despair. 
*'  Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity,"  is  the 
common  testimony  of  men  like  Lord  Ches- 
terfield, who  know  the  world,  and  yet  know 
nothing  else.  ''  But  the  path  of  the  just 
is  as  the  shining  light,  that  shineth  more 
and  more  unto  the  perfect  day."  *'  It 
shall  come  to  pass  that  at  evening  time  it 
shall  be  light."  Then  the  aged  servant  of 
God  speaks  of  the  divine  uprightness  as 
he  exhibits  the  adaptation  of  grace  to  the 
many  joys  and  sorrows  of  his  life.  He  can 
say,  "  I  know  both  how  to  be  abased,  and 
I  know  how  to  abound."  Poverty  has 
been  a  companion,  and  then  affluence  has 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  yy 

been  a  friend.  There  have  been  days  of 
sickness  and  nights  of  pain.  More  than 
once  the  dwelling  has  been  darkened,  and 
more  than  once  the  open  grave  has  claimed 
the  beloved  dead.  The  experiences  of  life 
have  presented  their  demands,  and  in 
every  instance  the  grace  of  God  has  met 
them.  Can  this  be  said  of  any  of  our  nu- 
merous philosophies?  Is  it  true  that  in- 
fidelity touches  life,  in  every  emergency, 
with  strength  and  comfort?  Do  not  the 
emergencies  of  life  silence  the  infidel?  I 
have  somewhere  read  of  an  infidel  orator 
in  the  North  of  England  who  was  accus- 
tomed to  invite  discussion  at  the  close  of 
his  lectures.  One  evening,  to  his  surprise, 
the  challenge  was  accepted  by  a  plain, 
aged  woman,  who  arose  and  said:  *' I 
have  only  a  question  to  put  to  you." 
"Well,  my  good  woman,"  was  the  confi- 
dent response  of  the  orator,  "  speak  out ; 
let  us  hear  it."  ''  Ten  years  ago,  sir,"  said 
the  humble  servant  of  God,  ''  I  was  left  a 
widow  with  eight  children  utterly  unpro- 
vided for,  and  nothing  to  call  my  own  but 
this  Bible.     By  its  direction  and  by  look- 


78  The  Sunset 

ing  to  its  God  for  help,  I  have  been  en- 
abled to  feed  myself  and  family.  I  am 
now  tottering  to  the  grave ;  but  I  am  per- 
fectly happy,  because  I  look  forward  to  a 
life  of  blessedness  with  Jesus  in  heaven. 
That 's  what  my  religion  has  done  for  me. 
What  has  your  way  of  thinking  done  for 
yoti  ? "  Ah !  my  friends,  that  personal 
argument  is  irresistible.  The  infidel  ora- 
tor tried  in  vain  to  meet  it.  The  aged 
saint  held  him  to  the  question,  *'  What 
has  your  way  of  thinking  done  for  yon  ?  " 
and  he  was  presently  speechless.  The 
Gospel,  however,  never  shrinks  from  its 
logical  consequences.  It  is  safe  to  press 
it  to  its  last  results.  You  would  cry  out 
against  me  and  rebuke  me  to  my  face  if 
I  should,  here  and  now,  say  to  you  that 
there  is  nothing  better  for  a  man  than  that 
he  should  eat  and  drink  and  be  merry, 
that  the  future  life  is  a  dream,  that  there 
will  be  no  judgment-day,  no  heaven,  no 
hell,  that  the  worldly  old  man  who  has 
spent  his  years  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure 
is  just  as  well  off  as  the  godly  old  man 
who  has  lived  in  obedience  to  the  revealed 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  79 

will  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Every  one 
knows  that  such  statements  are  false.  Yet 
alas !  how  many  of  us  contradict  our 
knowledge  by  living  for  self  and  the  world 
for  many,  many  years  of  this  mortal  life ! 
Poor  old  wrecks  of  humanity,  how  sadly 
they  drift  to  and  fro !  It  is  too  late  now 
to  correct  the  mistakes  of  a  lifetime.  Youth 
will  not  return  for  the  wishing.  The  irre- 
sistible pressure  of  time  means  the  awful 
coldness  of  the  grave,  and  that,  too,  sooji. 
Poor,  pitiable  old  men,  ''  having  no  hope, 
and  without  God  in  the  world,"  ye  seem 
like  beacons  shedding  a  warning  light  to 
keep  the  mariners  on  life's  stormy  sea  from 
the  rocks  and  the  quicksands  of  your  pres- 
ent wretchedness.  But  it  is  not  so  with 
the  righteous.  They  are  convoys,  rather 
than  beacons;  and  as  they  light  the  way 
across  the  trackless  ocean,  many  a  young 
sailor  steers  his  little  bark  in  safety  towards 
the  "  desired  haven." 

In  their  calm  and  happy  anticipation  of 
the  future,  God's  aged  servants  bear  their 
testimony  to  the  fidelity  of  the  Lord.  God 
has  promised  that  we  shall  have  ''  a  good 


8o  The  Sunset 

hope  through  grace."  ''  But  if  in  this  life 
only  we  have  hope  in  Christ,  we  are  of  all 
men  most  miserable."  It  is  true  that  our 
bodies  become  enfeebled  by  age.  They 
wear  out;  the  vital  powers  are  exhausted. 
Nature  expends  her  resources.  And  so 
the  aged  cease  to  live  among  us,  and  their 
faces  and  forms  are  sadly  missed  around  the 
table  or  the  hearth.  Yet  we  have  no  hope- 
less sorrow  concerning  them;  we  would 
not  keep  them  longer  from  the  welcome 
and  the  crown  if  we  had  the  power  so  to 
do.  Already  they  have  sent  on  the  bet- 
ter part  of  their  lives  to  await  their  com- 
ing ;  and  now  they  themselves  have  gone. 
Faith  has  found  its  perfect  consumma- 
tion. Birth  into  this  world  anticipates  the 
strength  and  beauty  of  mature  years.  The 
puny  form  of  the  babe  is  prophetic  of 
vigor  and  usefulness.  The  prophecy  may 
be  defeated  by  sickness,  or  by  casualty, 
and  the  babe  may  never  reach  the  pro- 
mised stature.  But  in  the  new  birth,  whose 
prophecies  take  hold  upon  the  life  immor- 
tal, there  are  no  such  disappointments. 
He  who  has  '*  begun   a  good  work  in  you 


of  the  Day  of  Grace,  8i 

will  perform  it  until  the  day  of  Jesus 
Christ."  God's  aged  servants  are  familiar 
with  their  Bibles.  They  know  their  Sa- 
viour too,  and  are  acquainted  with  his 
grace.  And  so  they  are  very  calm  and 
hopeful  as  they  say  with  Paul,  "  The  time 
of  my  departure  is  at  hand.  I  have  fought 
a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course, 
I  have  kept  the  faith :  henceforth  there  is 
laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness." 
We  observe  their  composure,  and  are 
grateful  that  we  have  new  evidence  of 
"  the  power  of  an  endless  life."  Yes,  God 
is  faithful;  our  aged  friends  are  with  us, 
still  bringing  forth  fruit  in  old  age,  "  to 
shew  that  the  Lord  is  upright."  Beautiful 
to  look  upon,  like  the  palm-tree  laden  with 
its  precious  dates,  like  the  cedar  of  Leba- 
non prepared  for  the  adornment  of  kings' 
palaces,  God's  aged  servants  are  the  ben- 
ediction of  the  household,  of  the  village, 
and  of  the  sanctuary.  Happy  are  the  chil- 
dren who  listen  meekly  to  their  wisdom 
and  who  are  greeted  by  their  smiles ! 
Happy  are  the  strong  men  and  women 
who  can  extend  an  arm  for  support  and 
6 


S2  The  Sunset 

comfort,  who  can  carry,  in  the  tender- 
ness of  filial  love,  to  the  confines  of  the 
world  which  has  no  feebleness,  no  trials, 
no  old  age,  the  dear  parents  who  received 
them  in  infancy,  and  carried  them  so 
gently  until  they  had  learned  to  walk 
alone ! 

The  Psalmist  sings  of  the  righteous,  and 
describes  the  beauty  of  their  old  age. 
That  beauty  is  not  an  accident,  it  is  the 
expression  of  righteousness  which  has 
been  carefully  nurtured.  The  Psalmist  is 
at  pains  to  locate  the  righteous.  "  Those 
that  be  planted  in  the  house  of  the  Lord 
shall  flourish  in  the  courts  of  our  God." 
First  righteousness,  —  consecration  of  life 
to  God  through  the  mediation  of  his  Son 
our  Saviour ;  and  then  nurture,  —  the  plant- 
ing and  the  training  in  the  Church  which 
God  himself  established.  The  divine 
method  is  approved.  Think  not  to  dis- 
regard it.  Your  old  age  will  be  beautiful 
and  useful  and  happy  and  hopeful  if  you 
give  yourself  to  God  in  early  life  and  ac- 
cept the  culture  which  is  found  in  the 
teaching  of  the  Christian  Church. 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  83 

Our  literature  has  no  more  beautiful 
sketch  of  an  old  man's  life  than  that  which 
Thackeray  has  given  in  his  story  of  *'  The 
Newcomes."  Refined  and  purified  by  the 
discipline  of  suffering,  with  wealth  stripped 
from  him,  and  the  friends  of  a  lifetime  in 
their  graves,  the  patient  hero  seeks  the 
quiet  of  Grey  Friars  Hospital  as  his  last 
home  on  this  earth.  There,  in  the  uni- 
form of  the  Order,  he  accepts  a  charity 
which  he  had  aforetime  been  wont  to  dis- 
pense. With  prayer  and  psalm  he  spends 
the  days  of  his  waiting  upon  God's  call, 
still  bringing  forth  fruit  in  old  age.  Then, 
as  he  becomes  too  feeble  to  rise  from  his 
couch,  he  listens  to  the  summons  of  the 
chapel-bell,  that  he  may  unite  in  the  daily 
devotions,  until  the  end  of  life  is  reached. 
He  is  ready  for  his  departure.  *' At  the 
usual  evening  hour,"  says  Thackeray,  ''  the 
chapel-bell  began  to  toll,  and  Thomas 
Newcome's  hands  outside  the  bed  feebly 
beat  time.  And  just  as  the  last  bell  struck, 
a  peculiar  sweet  smile  shone  over  his 
face,  and  he  lifted  up  his  head  a  little, 
and  quickly  said  'Adsunif  and  fell  back. 


84  The  Sunset 

It  was  the  word  we  used  at  school  when 
names  were  called ;  and  lo !  he  whose 
heart  was  as  that  of  a  little  child,  had  an- 
swered to  his  name,  and  stood  in  the 
presence  of  The  Master." 


of  the  Day  of  Grace.  85 


THE    AGED    PILGRIM. 

Thy  mercy  heard  my  infant  prayer  ; 
Thy  love,  with  kind,  paternal  care, 

Sustained  my  childish  days  ; 
Thy  goodness  watched  my  ripening  youth, 
And  formed  my  heart  to  love  thy  truth, 

And  filled  my  lips  with  praise. 

And  now,  in  age  and  grief,  thy  name 
Doth  still  my  languid  heart  inflame. 

And  bow  my  faltering  knee  ; 
Oh,  yet  this  bosom  feels  the  fire, 
This  trembling  hand  and  drooping  lyre 

Have  yet  a  strain  for  thee  ! 

Yes  ;  broken,  tuneless,  still,  O  Lord  ! 
This  voice,  transported,  shall  record 

Thy  goodness,  tried  so  long  ; 
Till  sinking  low,  with  calm  decay, 
Its  feeble  murmurs  melt  away 

Into  a  seraph's  song. 

Sir  Robert  Grant. 


THE   END 


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